A Tail Over A Wound
by Kazima Kuwabara
Summary: Shippo hadn't groomed himself since his father died. However as he groomed his tail, fluffing it up, Shippo found it the perfect size for concealing the wound at his waist.


Oi….oi……is currently smashing head against a desk

Insert random talking pony here : um…well…she's been fighting the urge to write this…but then she dreamed about it…Kazi resisted some more…but the fic was stronger. She didn't want to write it because…I 'unno… it was sad I guess.

**Insert sound of head smashing through a desk.**

1234

A copped colored ball of fluff curled into the smallest form that was possible. Small fox toes wiggled to rid of the cold, and to allow the copped fluff-more specifically a tail-to curl up right under Shippo's chin.

Shippo licked his tongue, and gnawed at it ridding a tick from his tail. Shippo groomed, cleaned, and preened himself while taking in tiny shaky breaths. His eyes were wide, and watery, and though he was trying not to blink tears still sped down his cupid like face. Licking his hands, Shippo smoothed down his hair, further continuing his cat-like manners. Shippo had not groomed himself in such a manner since his father died. He had never liked grooming himself either, but his father had persisted in encouraging his young kit to keep clean. And when Shippo's father passed, Shippo had stopped grooming-mainly because with Naraku, and shikon shards to worry about, Shippo never had time to even consider grooming.

But now, here he was just grooming away.

All this so he could distract himself from the pain in his tiny gut.

Shippo coughed and his eyes turned into tiny dots from the pain, the kit swallowed and blinked, but did not cry out. His breath hitched, and after several minutes, Shippo went back to grooming his tail.

"Oh Shippo, what are you doing here?"

Shippo cocked his head behind him at the unexpected voice. He turned and was surprised to see Kouga. The wolf demon had fresh kill on his shoulder no doubt for the few pack mates Kouga had left. Shippo found he had no voice so turned his gaze from Kouga and laid his head back down to stare out blankly in front of him.

There was a heavy, 'thump,' sound of Kouga dropping his kill, and the sound of scuffling feet. Kouga was soon in front of Shippo and sitting. Shippo had started his grooming back up, and Kouga watched as the fox seemed to ignore him. However, Kouga had never seen the little demon perform such an act and laughed at the fox.

"What are you doing kid? Shouldn't you be with the mutt, and Kag-" Kouga had prodded Shippo in the stomach, and sickening squelching sound filled the air. Shippo's eyes grew wide again and he froze. Kouga's face went grim and he pulled back his finger seeing a red smear. Dark eyes drifting to Shippo's tail that hid the boy's body, Kouga pulled Shippo's tail away from the small fox's body.

The sight was sickening.

The front of Shippo's clothes where ripped away, along with his skin. The top layer of Shippo's skin had been sheered off, and the young boy's muscles were exposed. At his gut it looked like someone had made a bit of a deeper cut, because Kouga was sure he could see Shippo's intestines.

Kouga had seen death, and tortured bodies, but something was especially horrid about this. Kouga blinked, and noticed for the first time how the mud Shippo laid in seemed darker-it was with out a doubt helping conceal Shippo's blood.

Kouga began stroking Shippo gently, the young kit's eyes returning to normal. "You're a brave lad…" Kouga finally said to Shippo whose cheeks were stained so wet from tears. "Where is that whelp and the others…I'll go get them right now…Kagome will use her magical bag of hers and save you. C'mon Shippo out with it, where did they go."

Shippo blinked a few times, and it looked as if the kit might break out into a sob. But after a quick breath, Shippo swallowed and whispered, "I'm watching after Inuyasha right now…"

Kouga blinked confused by the words and looked at Shippo's face. The fox seemed to be staring right through Kouga, and so the great wolf demon turned around, his heart beating unusually fast. Sticking out of the brush was a clawed hand, a hand Kouga recognized. "Inuyasha…" Kouga whispered unwittingly. He rose on one foot, when Shippo squeaked. Stopping to turn he stared down at the small child who had began to tremble.

"Do-Don't leave me Kouga-san…pl-please," Shippo begged softly.

Kouga fell heavily to his knees, and with a lump in his throat, a lump he'd never felt since his wolf tribe was annihilated; Kouga forced a cocky grin, "Of course not kid. I'll stay," he said resuming in stroking Shippo's head.

"Yo-You'll stay until I sleep?" Shippo asked eyes already drooping.

A cold chill dropped in Kouga's stomach, "…Yeah…until you sleep."

An hour passed and it was hard to get much of anything from Shippo. The hour consisted of broken up conversations evolving Naraku, Inuyasha, and that the others were safe…and the rest Kouga didn't really understand. Kouga felt this whole process of sitting with Shippo, only able to provide comfort and not real help sickening and pathetic. Kouga wanted to do more, but if Shippo was moved…well…Kouga knew the outcome of that. By the end of the hour, Shippo had begun to call Kouga Papa, and kept his eye closed most of the time. It was only a matter of time before Shippo would leave this world.

"So…so…so tired Papa," Shippo whispered tiredly, "Papa can I l-la-lay in your lap?"

Kouga swallowed hard, "Of course kit…" and as carefully as he could picked up Shippo. Kouga had to place his hand on Shippo's stomach to make sure his insides wouldn't spill out. The simple transfer from the ground to Kouga's lap caused the boy to turn pure white, but he smiled as soon as he was nestled in the wolf demon's lap.

"There...how's that?" Kouga asked smoothing back Shippo's bangs from his face.

"Be-better now papa…" Shippo wheezed snuggling into Kouga's waist.

Kouga made a small grunt, and continued to stroke the boy's head. It didn't take much longer after that. A couple of minutes later and Shippo's life had slipped away. His last act being to curl his tiny hand around Kouga's finger. Kouga stared down at the dead being in his lap, and cradling the young boy as gently as possible rose to his feet and turned back towards the brush.

Inuyasha's hand still lay motionless protruding from the brush.

Taking bold steps, Kouga peaked in the brush and indeed saw Inuyasha laying there.

Inuyasha's eyes stared out blankly in front of him, staring where Shippo had been. Even in death he had been watching over the young kit. Inuyasha's white tresses were strewn across his face and back, matted with mud and blood. Inuyasha was halfway in a river, and halfway on the muddy bank. Kouga tried to find the wound that killed Inuyasha, but between Inuyasha's ripped up side, and his missing leg…Kouga wasn't sure which.

Kouga rolled Inuyasha on his back, and hoisted the heavy body on his shoulder, and headed in a slow walk on his way, forgetting his kill that he had caught for himself and his friends.

Kouga would walk many hours until he'd find the scent of Kagome and the others. He would unknowingly pass a dog demon, accompanied by a small child, and a squawking toad. Kouga would walk on unaware of the great demon lord's eyes following him, and then the demon sinking to the ground in slow graceful matter, his servant and the child trying to figure out what was wrong with the great lord. Kouga would walk past a field of flowers where a demoness of wind had once sat in her final moments, and he's notice the wind brew stronger, but he'd keep walking carrying his heavy burdens. And as Kouga walked towards a small group who desperately searched for two missing friends, Kouga let his heavy heart break, and cold tears clean his face.


End file.
